Water heater with side wall venting means



March 14, 1961 A. B. MccoRQUoDALE: 2,974,650

WATER HEATER WITH SIDE WALL VENTING MEANS Fig Filed June 9. 1959 Fig. 2

26 25 ATTORNEY UnitedY States Patent WATER HEATER WrrH SIDE WALL VENTING Y MEANS Alan B. McCorquodale, 907 7th St., Orange, Tex.

Filed June 9, 1959, Ser. No. 819,035

4 Claims. (Cl. 122-494) This invention relates to a' gaswater heater having means for venting the flue gas through a side wall. The heater of the present invention is particularly xadapted for use with automobile trailers utilized as mobile homes.

Automobile trailers of the type utilized as mobile homes often are provided with gas water heaters which can be operated on natural gas, or liquefied propane or butane providedv at so-called trailer camps. The heater usually is installed in a cabinet beneath a sink installed Within the trailer adjacent one of its walls, and it generally is desirable to vent the heater through the side wall. However, conventional vents heretofore provided for this purpose have not -been entirely satisfactory, since in windy weather drafts can lblow through them into the heater cabinet and cause the pilot light conventionally provided with the heater to become extinguished.` Also it is not unusual that rain can enter the heater cabinet through the venting means.

The present invention provides a venting arrangement whereby the heater can be vented through the trailer side wall without danger of outside drafts affecting thepilot light even when abnormal wind conditions are encountered or of rain entering the trailer through the vent.

The invention is described more specically in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the water heater andits associated venting means passing th-rough la wall of the trailer;

Fig. 2 is a top view taken as indicated by line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the venting means in more detail;

Fig. 4 is a partly broken away side View of the venting means; and

Fig. 5 is a top view of the venting means taken as indicated by line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the heater comprises an ovate tank which is set within an insulated jacket 11 positioned within a cabinet 12 yadjacent trailer wall 13. The tank 10 has a cold water inlet pipe 14 which enters into it as shown in Fig. l to admit cold water against the center of the base of the tank and a hot water outlet line 15 adapted to withdraw hot water from the uppermost zone in the tank. Pipe connections (not shown) are provided for lines 14 and 15 for supplying cold water to and removing hot water from the tank. A burner 16 provided in conventional manner with a pilot light not specifically shown projects through a hole in the floor of jacket =11, said hole being defined by an upwardly ared edge 17 which is spaced apart from the burner to permit air to reach it. Gas control means 18 regulated by thermostat 19 have a gas supply line 20 leading to burner 16. As shown in Fig. l, the burner is oiset from the base center of tank 10, so that any moisture which condenses on the tank when it contains only Coldwater will drip from the base center onto the oor of jacket 11 without touching the burner. Flared edge 17 contains the dripped condensate within the box until it has, had time to evaporate after the burner has ignited. The location of burner y16 and pipe 14 causes' the water as it is heated to pass up the left-hand side of tank 10 so that it quickly reaches the top from which it can be withdrawn through pipe 15 without being diluted substantially with cold water.

Insulated jacket 11 is provided With an aperture into which fits a vent pipe connection 21 attached to the side wall venting means indicated generally at `22. Connection 21 leads into a vertical pipe 23 which has an open ended extension 2da beneath connection 211. This arrangement functions as a draft diverter and causes anyv abnormal drafts which enter vent 22 to pass downwardlythrough the open bottom end of pipe 23 rather than to enter the insulated jacket 11. Vertical pipe 23 connects at its top with a horizontal pipe 24 which for-ms a flueV gas channel leading to the outside of the trailer wall 13. The outer end of pipe 24 connects at a central aperture in a vertical baille member 25 which is spaced apart from a second bathe member 26. The two 'batlles thus provide a path for diverting the ilow of flue gas, after it has passed from pipe 24, in directions parallel to the trailer wall 13. A pair of transverse bales 27 and 28 positioned, respectively, Iabove and below the outlet of pipe 24 maintain the spaced relationship of vertical bales 25 and 26 and also function to prevent rain from entering pipe 24. The arrangement shown thus causes the hue gas which passes from pipe 24 to be diverted laterally between baffles 25 and 26 to the atmosphere.

Flanged conduit means 29 surrounding pipe'24 and attached thereto by means of transverse apertured plate 30 are adapted to fit snugly in the aperture in trailer wall 13 and form with baflle 25 and pipe 24 a passageway for entrance of air to cabinet 12 and to burner 16. This arrangement permits heat transfer between the outgoing -llue gas and incoming air and hence effects a recovery of part of the heat that otherwise would be lost in the ilue gas. Vlt also prevents the trailer wall 13 from becoming overheated by the hot ue gas. The inner end of conduit means 29 preferably is flared inwardly as shown at 31. This helps to prevent rain which may be carried by the incoming air from passing into cabinet 12 and causes it to drain back out of the inlet channel.

It may be seen from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a gas water heater and venting arrangement which is especially adapted for use with automobile trailers and which oiers numerous advantages over heating means heretofore employed for this purpose.

The invention claimed is:

l. ln combination, a gas water heater comprising a tank adapted to hold a body of water and a burner adjacent the bottom thereof, a jacket around the tank spaced therefrom and having a side opening adjacent the top and a bottom opening for admission of air to the burner, said jacket being adapted to be positioned in a cabinet having a wall with an opening above said opening, flue gas venting means providing a channel for flow from said opening upwardly to and outwardly through the wall opening, said venting means having an open ended extension extending downwardly from the side opening and having spaced apart baffles beyond the Wall opening for diverting the flow of ue gas in directions parallel to said wall, a pair of baffles extending transversely between said spaced apart baflles and positioned, respectively, above and below the ilue gas venting path, and flanged conduit means adapted to tit within the wall opening and forming with said venting means an inlet path `for fresh air.

2. The combination dened in claim l wherein the inner end of said conduit means is inwardly ared.

3. In a device for supplying air to and venting gases from a jacketed water heater positioned adjacent a wall having an opening located above a vent opening in the water heater jacket, the combination which comprises conduit means providing a channel for upwardow from said vent opening and a vconnecting channel for outward ilow through the wall opening, an open ended downward extension `from the conduit means at the firstmentioned channel, spaced apart baies at the end of the second-mentioned channel for diverting the ilow of ue gas perpendicularly thereto, a pair of baes extending transversely between said spaced apart baes and positioned, respectively, below and above the end of said second-mentioned channel, and flanged conduit means adapted to t within the wall opening and forming with the rst-metioned conduit means an inlet path for fresh air.

4. A device laccording to claim 3 wherein the inner end of said flanged conduit means is inwardly flared.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,165,811 Peters July 11,1939 2,180,212 Morrow Nov. 14, 1939 2,480,657 Jones Aug. 30, 1949 2,651,299 Brown Sept. 8, 1953 2,703,569 Yarbrough Mar. 8, 1955 2,744,503 Millsaps et al. May 8, 1956 2,811,095 Moran Oct. 29, 1957 2,818,060 Field Dec. 21, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 217,701 Great Britain June 26, 1924 771,986 Great Britain Apr. 10, 1957 

